The authors report the successful development of a method stabilising
the fundamental transverse mode of a vertical-cavity surface-emitting
laser using a low-temperature-deposited amorphous GaAs (a-GaAs) layer
of a high refractive index. For a device of 10 mu m diameter, stable f
undamental mode emission has been observed over a wide range of curren
t. Results are attributed to the antiguide effect of the a-GaAs-buried
structure.